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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. rash — a series
  3. bank — for money
  4. spell — magic
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. spell — letters
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. spell — a short time
  11. field — farmland
  12. rash — hasty
  13. field — a subject
  14. pit — in a race
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bank — for money
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — tied together
  21. stand — to bear
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. field — for sport
  24. rash — on the skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com